1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is generally directed to a method of play and apparatus for playing a casino game of chance. In particular, the present invention relates to a baccarat game and table layout for mini-baccarat or baccarat.
Moreover, the present invention will be specifically directed to a method of play that provides for an additional side wager or progressive bet to entice players to make additional wagers to receive a predetermined reward.
Also, the present invention will specifically be directed to a method of play that provides for an additional side wager, such as a progressive bet or a proxy progressive bet to entice players to make additional wagers to receive a predetermined reward facilitated by the application of a keypad to process and record all progressive bets electronically.
Furthermore, in order to stimulate and create more interest to the traditional method of playing baccarat, the present invention will introduce:
(1) A baccarat marker; PA1 (2) A baccarat bet box; PA1 (3) A baccarat table layout; and PA1 (4) A baccarat tie call. PA1 a) the bettor having the option of making a second wager that the bank hand and the player hand will comprise in combination a four-of-a-kind of a specific card value; PA1 b) dealing two cards comprising the bank hand and dealing two cards comprising the player hand according to the conventional manner of play of baccarat; PA1 c) determining whether the combination of the bank hand and the player hand is a four-of-a-kind of the specific card value; PA1 d) paying off the bettor a predetermined amount if the bettor's second wager was a winning wager wherein the combination of the bank hand and the player hand is a four-of-a-kind of the specific card value; PA1 e) dealing an additional card to the player hand and an additional card to the bank hand if required according to the conventional manner of play of baccarat; PA1 f) determining a winning hand and a losing hand according to the conventional manner of play of baccarat; PA1 g) paying off the bettor a predetermined amount if the bettor's first wager was on the winning hand according to the conventional manner of play of baccarat and collecting the amount wagered on the losing hand.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Baccarat is one of the more popular gambling games played in casinos or gaming establishments. As is well known, the game is played on an elongated table having a game board displayed along the upper surface of the table. The game board displays certain wagering areas, and the elongated table allows for the seating of multiple players or bettors (1-16) and the positioning of the multiple dealers (3) necessary for operating the casino game. Bettor locations are typically numbered on the table and each bettor location has an area designated for a wager on the bank hand and an area designated for a wager on the player hand. Baccarat uses a standard deck of 52 playing cards and is usually dealt from a shoe having multiple decks that have been shuffled together prior to the beginning of play.
The object of the game of baccarat is for the bettor to successfully wager on whether the bank's hand or the player's hand is going to win. The bettor receives even money for his wager if he selects the winning hand and loses his wager if he selects the losing hand. Because of the rules of play of baccarat, the bank's hand has a slightly higher chance of winning than does the player's hand. Therefore, if the bettor wagers on the bank's hand, the bettor is required to pay to the gaming establishment a commission (typically 5%) of the amount the bettor wins. No commission is paid if the bettor successfully wagers on the player's hand.
As disclosed in this specification, the term "conventional manner of play of baccarat" is as follows:
A multiple number of decks of standard playing cards, 52 in number, are used; typically six to twelve decks are shuffled together and placed in a shoe from which the cards are dealt during the play of the game.
Each bettor makes a wager on whether the bank's hand or the player's hand will win. After all wagers are made, two cards are dealt from the shoe to the bank position and two cards are dealt from the shoe to the player's position on the table layout. The cards are turned face up and the value of the bank hand and the player hand is determined.
Aces count as one; kings, queens, jacks and tens count as zero and the other cards count as their respective face value. The suits (hearts, diamonds, spades and clubs) have no meaning in baccarat. The highest hand value in baccarat is nine. All hand values range from a low of zero to a high of nine. If when the cards are added together, the total of the hand exceeds nine, then the hand value is determined by subtracting ten from the total of the hand. For example, a seven and nine total sixteen, but the hand value is six. An Ace and a nine total ten, but the hand value is zero.
A two card total of eight or nine is called a "natural"; a two card total of zero is called a "baccarat". As will be explained hereafter, in certain situations in the play of the game, a third card will be dealt. The value of this third card is added to the total of the first two cards and a new hand value is established. Again, if the new hand total exceeds nine, the hand value is determined by subtracting ten from the total of the hand.
Prior to the deal, each bettor can make one of three wagers: 1) that the bank hand will win; 2) that the player hand will win; or 3) that the bank hand and the player hand will tie. Wagering locations are provided on the baccarat table layout. Whichever of the bank hand or the player hand is closest to a total of nine is the winner.
All winning bank hand wagers are paid off at odds of one-to-one and the house charges a five percent (5%) commission on the amount won by the bettor. For example, if a bettor wagers $100 on the bank hand and the bank hand wins, the bettor wins $100 and is charged a $5 commission on the amount that the bettor won. The bettor is not charged any commission on the amount of his wager.
All winning player hand wagers are paid off at odds of one-to-one and the bettor is not charged any commission on the amount of his winnings or his wager. Winning wagers on the tie hand bet are paid off at odds of eight-to-one (depending on the gaming establishment) and the bettor is not charged any commission on the amount of his winnings or his wager. If a tie hand occurs, all wagers on the bank hand and all wagers on the player hand are "pushes" and the amount wagered is returned to the bettor.
The play of baccarat typically uses three casino dealers to operate the game. The casino dealers jointly participate in the shuffling of the decks of cards. After the shuffle is completed, one of the players is typically asked to cut the decks using a plastic cut card. The dealer then separates and restacks the cards from the point of the cut and the dealer or a player then inserts the plastic cut card no less than fifteen cards from the ends of the stacked decks and the entire stacked decks are placed into a shoe from which the cards are dealt during the play of the game. When the inserted plastic cut card appears during play, the hand in progress is completed and that round of play then ends. The cards are reshuffled to prepare for the next round of baccarat.
In conventional baccarat, the bettors deal the cards used in the game. Initially, one of the casino dealers (called the "caller") passes the shoe to the bettor sitting in seat number "1" at the baccarat table. After all wagers have been made, the caller tells the bettor with the shoe to begin the deal. The bettor deals a first card to the caller, a first card to himself, a second card to the caller and a second card to himself. All cards are dealt face down. The two cards given to the caller represent the player hand and the two cards kept by the bettor who is dealing the cards represent the bank hand.
The caller than allows one of the other bettors to turn up the player's hand. Traditionally, this honor is given to the bettor who has made the largest wager. The bettor turns up the two cards of the player's hand and tosses them to the caller. The caller places these two cards face up in the table location designated for the "player hand" and the caller announces the point total of the player hand.
The bettor who has the shoe then turns over the cards of the bank hand and tosses these two cards to the caller. The caller places these two cards face up in the table location designated for the "bank hand" and the caller announces to point total of the bank hand. Depending on the point total of the player's hand and the bank's hand, one more card may be dealt to either the player's hand, the bank's hand or both. The rules for determining whether a third card is dealt are fixed rules, there is no discretion for either the player's hand or the bank's hand on whether a third card is dealt.
If either the player hand or the bank hand has a point total of eight or nine on the first two cards, no third card is dealt to either hand and the hand with the highest point total is the winner (or the hand is a tie, as the case may be). If neither the player hand or the bank hand has a point total of eight or nine, then there is a possibility of a third card draw.
The third card draw rules are as follows:
Rule #1: If the initial two card player hand has a point total of 0, 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5, draws a third card. If the initial two card player hand has a point total of 6 or 7, the player hand stands and does not receive a third card.
Rule #2: If the player hand stands and does not draw a third card, then the bank hand follows Rule #1. In other words, if the player hand has a point total of 6 or 7, the bank hand draws a third card on a point total of 0, 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5 and the bank hand stands on a point total of 6 or 7.
Rule #3: If the player hand draws a third card, the bank hand must draw or stand as follows:
______________________________________ Bank hand two Bank hand draws when the Bank hand stands when the card point total player's hand third card is: player's hand third card is: ______________________________________ 0, 1 or 2 Bank always draws -- 3 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 or 9 8 4 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 or 7 0, 1, 8 or 9 5 4, 5, 6 or 7 0, 1, 2, 3, 8 or 9 6 6 or 7 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 8 or 9 7 -- Bank always stands ______________________________________
All third card draw determinations are automatically made by the caller who is skilled in the game of baccarat. When the rules of baccarat require a third card for the player hand, the caller will request a card for the player hand. After the player hand is completed, the bank hand is completed in the same fashion. The caller then declares which hand has the highest point total and declares that hand the winner (or the caller declares a tie hand as the case may be).
In conventional baccarat the bettor who acts as the dealer continues to deal the cards until the player hand wins. As soon as the player hand wins, it is customary to pass the shoe counterclockwise around the baccarat table to the next bettor so that each bettor has the opportunity to deal the cards. Any bettor may decline to deal the cards. The fact that one of the bettors is physically dealing the cards has no affect on the outcome of the game because the rules for drawing and standing do not allow any discretion on the part of the players.
However, the use of the standard elongated baccarat table has several drawbacks. For example, the typical baccarat table is elongated primarily to provide seating capacity for multiple players; however, due to business levels, it is often necessary to close down the table for lack of adequate play which results in loss of revenue. In gambling locations where space is limited, such as river boats, the amount of space a gaming establishment can provide becomes invaluable. In such instances, many casinos have been forced to resort to "mini-bac" tables which allow for approximately one-half the players and ultimately destroys the excitement of the game as the rules and play of the game have to be modified extensively. For instance, players are typically not allowed to handle the cards and pass the shoe from player to player.
Also, because the standard baccarat table is elongated, the table is typically formed with two betting areas on either end and a central area for player hand and bank hand placement. Four baccarat table operators are typically used to run a standard baccarat table, this would include three dealers (one of which is a caller), and a relief. The necessity of using four people to monitor the typical baccarat table lowers the profitability of these standard baccarat tables.
Since none of the players have any affect on how the cards are played, the most significant interaction or only interaction the players have in the game of baccarat is on placing bets. Therefore this game is not always an extremely popular gaming table at certain gaming establishments. Gaming establishments have provided additional wagering features on other types of games such as slot machines in order to entice players to make additional wagers and allow the players to win an additional reward from a "progressive" jackpot. Various modifications to the game of baccarat have been proposed in the past to eliminate the 5% house commission and provide for additional side wagers; however, none of these modifications have proven to be widely accepted or successful.
Furthermore, the standard baccarat tables and the mini-bac tables have a standard layout of numbers representing each player and also include betting boxes for wagering on a banker's hand, player's hand, and a tie. The aesthetic view of these table layouts is rather ordinary and plain and is not specifically designed to entice other people to play unless they understand how baccarat is played. In the case of using a larger baccarat table wherein three dealers are required, the layout of the table provides for betting areas on two opposite ends of the table. This particular layout can make it difficult for the dealers to adequately monitor all the bets since each dealer has to continually look to the sides to view the players' bets. This can cause confusion created by vague and unclear betting areas.
These and other types of baccarat games and table layouts disclosed in the prior art do not offer the flexibility and inventive features of our baccarat game method of play and apparatus. As will be described in greater detail hereinafter, the baccarat game method and table layout of the present invention differs from those previously proposed.